Weald Community Primary School

Weald Community Primary School is a small, welcoming and inclusive community school that pupils describe as like one big family. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and, under current arrangements, no overall effectiveness grade was given; the previous inspection was Good. Leaders have high academic expectations and pupils typically learn the curriculum well, behave politely and respectfully, and feel safe. Reading is a clear priority, with strong phonics support and a culture that encourages a love of reading, and pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported to learn alongside their peers. Personal development is exceptional: character education runs through school life and pupils benefit from a wide range of responsibilities, clubs, trips and performances that build values such as integrity, curiosity and respect. Leadership, governance, safeguarding and early years provision are all secure. The main areas for improvement are in the curriculum. In a few subjects, the core knowledge and skills pupils need to learn are not identified precisely enough, so learning can focus on activities rather than the knowledge and skills pupils should remember. In some subjects, staff subject knowledge and the approaches used are not yet fully realising the school’s curriculum vision, which limits the impact on what pupils know and remember. The school is already reflective and has a systematic curriculum review and professional development programme in place, and the next steps are to sharpen curriculum precision across all subjects and continue building staff expertise.

Strengths

• Warm, nurturing relationships and a welcoming, inclusive family ethos
• High expectations for pupils’ academic achievement
• Pupils are polite, respectful and have positive attitudes to learning
• Ambitious curriculum with a systematic review process
• Strong phonics and early reading provision with targeted catch-up support
• A strong reading-for-pleasure culture
• Quick identification and inclusive support for pupils with SEND
• Exceptional personal development through character education and extensive opportunities
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Committed leadership and governance with useful collaboration across local schools
• Attendance is improving through clear monitoring and family support

Areas for Improvement

• In a few subjects, core knowledge and skills are not identified precisely enough
• Sometimes pupils remember activities rather than the knowledge and skills they need
• In some subjects, staff subject knowledge and teaching approaches do not fully realise the curriculum vision
• Curriculum implementation is not consistently strong across all subjects

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Weald Community Primary School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.1% of pupils at Weald Community Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Weald Community Primary School had 13.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.4% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 22.3% of pupils at Weald Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Weald Community Primary School received £8,229 and spent £8,215 for each of its 103 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £78,000 (£761 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Sevenoaks · Kent local authority: places and applications

What is Weald Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Weald Community Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Weald Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Weald Community Primary School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Weald Community Primary School have?

Weald Community Primary School has 103 pupils on roll.

What age range does Weald Community Primary School cover?

Weald Community Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Weald Community Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Weald Community Primary School?

Weald Community Primary School is at Long Barn Road, Weald, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 6PY.